Unloading mechanism for cooky coating conveyers



Oct. 2, 1951 N. J. wATsQN 2,569,839

UNLOADING MECHANISM FOR COOKY'COATING commas M Filed June 1, 1949 2 Sheets$heei 1 Oct. 2, 1951 -N; J. WATSON UNLOADING MECHANISM FOR epoxy COATING CONVEYERS Filed June 1, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 2, 1951 UNITED STATES OFFICE UNLOADING MECHANISM FQR .cooKY COATING CONVEYEES Nathan .1. Watson, Sioux Qity, Iowa; assignortq Johnson Biscuit Company, Sign; qi ty lowa a corporation of Iowa App ication un 1, 3 eria He- 94 10 Claims. (o1. 198185) pipeCoating Cookies and the Like, in which I gin a cpiriventor with William R. Steingraber.

Qne of the objects of this invention is to provide an eflicient and efiective unloading mechanism for removing cookies from a continuously moving conveyor, and from which mechanism operating parts are easily and readily removable for cleanins! lyiy invention has-for another object the provision of a conveyor unloading mechanism having separately actuated parts for efiecting the removal of cookies or the like from oppositely projecting tangs on a conveyor and either or both oi which parts may bequiclily and easily brought into operation or rendered inoperative.

another object, the invention has within its purview the provision of an unloading mechanisrn adapted to use with a chain conveyor having oppositely projecting carrying tangs which are normally free to rotate relative to the conveyor chains, and which mechanism embodies guides for controlling the positions of the tangs and mean for moving the guides between operative and inoperative positions.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an unloading mechanism having parts adapted to operation in synchronized relationship to the movements of a conveyor and wherein means is provided for adjusting the timing of the unloader operation in relation to that of the conveyor. f Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings in which similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the twosheets of drawings,

Fig, 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred embodiment of my unloading mechanism with the parts thereof shown in their normal operating positions; the mechanism being illustrated in its application to a chain conveyor of the type utile ized for the manufacture of dip-coated cookies and the ik vFit;- i a v w mila o i 7 but wi h oer was: t e'pa t ifi e t eesitiqne nd wi h 2 ne pa t emov d to ill re tail of the structune; w 3 a. t an vi w of. the unle m m chanism; us r td n Fig. 1; 1

.. a r ng aro s; and

E ea mentar secti iew taker} substa l ne 57!? cf. i

. fi lplfi y @BbQ- lIQ-Q 9 n oa n mechanism, which is shown in the accompanying awings. 9? illint etive Will-9& i i in an adap on b a cha n emester tructure havingopeqsed and sulgstanti lly parallel suppo ting uctures l0 and I'Zins ayed relationship. rt e trams ructu 0 n ludes are right channels 3jand. lgconnected by a horizon-.- tal beam. l; while the, Supporting frame struc: 9 l ll ll l B i l i 1 1 1 1 an n 25 ntal bearn'lt. A conveyor IQ, of the end ess 011 11 t pe. s, supported b t een th s porting frame stru ctures 1 .0 and I2. This cone YQYQIKES. imi ar an su t n l Para l de chairs A l ad 2? whicliside h s carry a saefiei heels her 23 1 n red e a o p; lon iu inel r-oi h c ain and i u t nt a ne lel relationship to one another.

H h is lp ed struct re. th 10 bars a e cr ss bar portions. 2. at h nd of hic i Qll su port st ep 2.5.: the c e s r t iees being e qe hne a each 19 h Straps n the mi -Po t s 9f th str s h in ra n t e: to e iv nmiect ne stud :6 h nsth neck b rs are su po t d o relatively ree mta i relati e to he c a s n arr ts n ndede re to eelsa n rm nes tioe o l vel relati le to thee t 9129 12? side f 21 l nd wh in ea er herein bes lcekt are li el 9 t th r by d a et en dr iri rm re When t e di -s ated ca es. re c he ee .loa ln mechee em Sheri; t eme-c tin is drieq aeq h bas s ke are ea y $9. smeye a unless a sweet $3 he et er in:

h lane an a elear-' s stance, the unloading mechanism may be rendered ineffective, so that the cookies remain on the conveyor for a second circuit of travel.

, At the unloading position which is disclosed herein, the conveyor chains 29 and 22 are carfied by three aligned pairs of coaxial pulleys having their axes in staggered relationship. That is, a shaft 29 is journalled in bearings 30 and 32 which are secured to the beams l and #8 respectively and has a pair of sprockets 33 and 34 secured thereto at its opposite ends. second shaft 35 is journalled in bearings 36 and 31 secured to the upper surfaces of the beams and i8 and has a pair 'ofl' 'sprockets 38 and 39 secured thereto. A third shaft40, like the first shaft 29, is journalled in bearings 42 and 43 which are secured to the lower surfaces of the beams l5 and I8 respectively. This third shaft has a pair of sprockets 44 and 45 secured thereto. The bearingsfor the first and third shafts 29 and 40 being secured to the lower surfaces of the beams l5 and I8, while the bearings for the second shaft 35 are secured to the upper surfaces of those beams, the axes of the third shafts and their respective sprockets are in staggered relationship to one another, with the axis of the second or intermediate shaft displaced from alignment with the axes of the first and third shafts. The normal direction of travel of the disclosed conveyor is such that it progresses around the sprockets 33 and 34 to the sprockets '38 and 39 and thence to and beyond the sprockets 44 and 45. Thus, as viewed in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the loaded hook bars enter the unloading position at the left side and progress toward the right.

Near and on corresponding sides of the shafts 29 and 40,as depictedin Figs. 1 and 2, brackets such as 46 and 41 are secured to the lower surfaces of the beams I5 and I8 and carry bearlugs 48 and 49. The latter bearings have shafts 50 and 52 journalled for rotation therein. The axes of the shafts 50 and 52 are substantially parallel to the axes of the shafts 29, 35 and 40. As shown in Figs 3 and 4, fingers 5| project in a substantially coplanar row from one side of the shaft 50. Likewise, fingers 53 project in a substantially coplanar row "from one side of the shaft 52. In my preferred structure, the fingers 5| and 53 are in theform of substantially U- shaped rows and are spaced longitudinally of the shafts 50 and 52, so that the spaces therebetween correspond to the spacing of the tangs 21 and 28on the hook bars. The spacing of the shafts 59 and 52 from the hook bars is sufiicient to provide ample clearance for the projecting tangs as the conveyor moves. Alsoythe placement of the shafts 56 and 52 and the eration loaded tangs pass between the ends of the fingers while those fingers extend to positions closely adjacent the hook bars, and so that subsequent outward movement of the fingers along the tangs dislodges the cookies longitudinally of the tangs and without materially increasing the size of the openings left by the tangs. It may be further understood that the two rows of fingers effect the removal of the cookies from the oppositely projecting tangs on the two sides of the conveyor, and that in each instance the movements of the fingers must be timed and synchronized with respect to th movements of the conveyor.

For actuating and determining the instantaneous positions of the fingers in respect to the hook bars in the disclosed structure, I have provided earns 54 and 55 which are secured to the ends of the shafts 29 and 40 in spaced relationship to the sprockets 33 and 44 respectively and externally of the conveyor. By preference, and as depicted in Fig. 3, sprocket supporting hubs 55 and 51 are secured to the shafts 29 and 40 respectively, and the sprockets 54 and 55 are secured .to the outer faces ofthe hubs by fastening means such as cap screws 58 and 59. Also,

the cap screws 58 and 59 extend through slots 69 and 62 which are elongated circumferentially of the sprockets, so that the sprockets are circumferentially adjustable, within limits, with respect to the shafts 29 and 49, and thus with respect to the positions of the uniformly spaced hook bars of the conveyor.

Arms 63 and 64 are secured to and project radially from the shafts 50 and 52 respectively and have cam. followers 65 and 66 mounted on their projecting ends for engagement with the peripheral surfaces of the cams 54 and 55 respectively- Arcuate surface portions 61 and Y68 of the peripheries of the cams 54 and 55 respectively are interposed between projecting portions 69 and 19 on those cams and determine one limit of movement of the cam followers 65 and 66, thereby to determine one limit of movement of the fingers 5| and 53. The projecting portions 69 are generally alike and are spaced to correspond to the spacing of the hook bars on the conveyor. These projecting portions periodically effect actuationof the arms 63 and 64 to produce outward swinging movement of the fingers 5i and 53 in timed relationship to the passage of the hook bars along the path of the conveyor. Arms 12 and 13 are secured to shafts 50 and 52 respectively and project radially therefrom in obtuse angular relationship to the arms 63 and 64. The latter arms have removable weights l4 and 15 carried on their projecting ends and respectively retained by end flanges 16 and H on those arms. With the arms 12 and 13 thus disposed, and carrying the weights 14 and I5, those weights bias the cam followers 15 and I6 toward and into engagement with the peripheral camming surfaces of the cams 54 and 55. On the other hand, when the weights 14 and 15 are removed from the arms l2 and 13, the weights of the fingers 5| and53 and the arms 63 and 64 are sufficient to over-balance the weights of the arms 12 and 13 so that the fingers drop downwardly andaway from the hook bars to. positions such as that depicted'for the arm 53 and fingers 5| in Fig. .2 so that the fingers remain in an inoperative position with respect to the conveyor. Such an inoperative po sition of the fingers is utilized, for example, when the dipped cookies are allowed to pass the unloading mechanism forasecond dipping cycle on the conveyor.

In order to facilitate the removal of the shafts 50 and 52 for purposes such as the periodic cleaning of the fingers 5| and 53, the bearings'48 and 49 are of a construction which permits quick manual release of the shaft from the bearing without the use of tools. Although the bearings at the other ends of the shafts 50 and 52 may be like the bearings 48 and 49, they may be plain journal bearings from whichthe shafts may be removed longitudinally or 'into which the ends er the shafts may be sl'pped. the disclowd str'tictin'e', the bearings 48 and 43- (Fig; 2) have downwardly and laterally projecting hook poi"- trons T8 and I9 defining bearing surfaces, such as 80 having an open side 82 through which the shaft will pass. Fingers 83 and 84 are mounted for swinging movement relative to the bearings 48 and 49'. In one position, the fingers are supported by a projecting lug 85 on one side of the hook portion I9, so that the end surface of the finger substantially closes the open side 82 of the hearing. In a retracted position, as depicted in Fig. 2', the finger 54 is swung" away from the open side 82 of the bearing, so that the shaft may be removed or inserted.

In order to insure the desired and effective op e'iation of the unloading mechanism, as well'as to effect the sequential removal of cookies from the tangs on the two sides of the conveyor, the positions of the hook bars and their respective rows of tangs are controlled adjacent the fingers I and 53 and are effectively reversed during travl between one group of fingers and the other. For this purpose, I have provided guide rails 86-, 81 and 88 adjacent the sprockets 33, 38 and 44 respectively. Each of these guide rails has a surface portion normally disposed to engage side surfaces of the support straps 25 at adjacent ends of the conveyor hook bars. The guide rail 86 is arcuate in shape and holds the hook bars in position as they pass the fingers 5 I, that position being such that the tangs on one side of the conve or project outwardly in a direction substantially radial to the sprocket 33. A space between the end of the guide rail 86 and'the guide rail 81 is provided for the hook bars to swing by gravity to positions, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4, wherein the tangs are practically reversed from their positions while guided by the rail 86, and wherein the unremoved cookies are on the side of the conveyor facing the sprocket 38 and shaft 35before the support straps 25 on the hook bars are engaged by the guide rail 81. The guide rail 81 has an arcuate portion adjacent the sprocket 38, as well as an extended straight end portion 89 which overlaps an extended end portion 90 of the guide rai1 88. Thus, with this arrangement, the support straps on the hook bars pass from guide rail 81 to guide rail 88 without reversal, so that the positions of the hook bars are effectively reversed with respect to the fingers 5I and 53 between the sprockets 33 and 44, and so that the remaining loaded tangs on the hook bars extend outwardly in a radial direction as they pass the sprocket 44 and the fingers 53, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4.

As the hook bars pass the sprocket 33, the fingers 5I move outwardly along the projecting tangs from a position near the hook bar to a position at or beyond the ends of the tangs, so that cookies 92 are dislodged from the tangs and dropped to a driven conveyor belt 93 which is carried by means including a roller 94 and is adapated to carry the cookies to a place for packin'g. After reversal of the hook bars, the projecting tangs on the loaded side of the conveyor pass the fingers 53, whereupon the remaining cookies are similarly dislodged by the latter fingers. In the disclosed structure, as may be observed from Fig. 1, the spacing of the parts of the unloading mechanism and th adjustments of the positions of the cams 54 and 55 are such that the fingers 5| and 53 are alternately actuated to dislodge cookies from the conveyor.

In the disclosed structure, the guide rails 86 81 and 88: are supported for swinging movement} so that they may be: manually moved toand from; their effective positions relative. to the hook bars.- That is, the guide rail 86 has one end supported by a shaft 95 which issecured to a. lug 96 on the upright channel I3. The guide rail. 81 has a. cor-. responding end hingedly supported by a. shaft 81 which is secured by a lug 98 to the beam I5. Similarly, an endof the guide rail 88 is hingedly supported by a pin 99 projecting. from the inner surface of the beam I5.

The ends of the guide-rails 86, 81 and 880mmsite those supportedby the shafts 96 and and the pin 99 are movably supported by links I00, I02 and I03 respectively from a substantially T-shaped member I04. The substantially T-shaped member I04'is supported for rotational swinging movement by an arm I05 which. is secured to the beam I5. At one end of the cross portion of the T-shaped member I04, the endS Of the links I00 and I03 are movably connected thereto. At the other end of that cross member, one end of the link I02 is movably connected thereto. A handle I06 extends through a latch strip 501 on the channel I4 and has its end connected to the stem of the T-shaped member I04 at a distance from the support for that member. Manual actuation of the handle I06 swings the T-shaped member I04 between positions such as those illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, thereby to actuate the guide rails between their normal operating positions, shown in Fig. 1, and their retracted or relatively ineffective positions, shown in Fig. 2. By preference, notches I08 and I09 are provided in the handle I06 for engagementwith the latch strip I01 to retain the handle in the position-to which it has been moved. It may be readily understood the retraction of the guide rails allows the hook bars to pass adjacent the sprockets 33, 38 and 44 without having their positions controlled. Such operation is utilized when the weights l4 and 15 have been removed from the arms 72 and I3, so that the fingers 5|. and 53 are retracted to out-of-the-way positions.

While I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, butdesire to avail myself of all changes within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In combination with a dip-coating conveyor for the production of cookies and the like and including substantially parallel side chains carrying hook bars in spaced and substantially parallel relationship, said hook bars being suspended for normally free rotation relative to the chains and having rows of spaced tangs projecting therefrom in opposite directions, and said conveyor chains being guided at an unloading position by three pairs of sprockets carried by three shafts and disposed so that the axis of one pair of sprockets is between and offset from the axes of the other two pairs of sprockets, an unloading mechanism including cams secured to the shafts of said other pairs of sprockets and having cam projections thereon spaced to correspond to the spacing of the hook bars on the conveyor chains, means for adjusting the positions of the camproje'ctions relative to the positions of the hook bars, a shaft supported for rotational movement ad'- iacent each 'of said other pairs or sprockets and each having a row of fingers, thereon projecting between and closely adjacent opposite sides of thetangs on the hook bars, parts secured to each of the latter mentioned shafts and engaging one of said cams for effecting movements of the pro: jecting ends of the fingers longitudinally of the tangs from and to positions close to the hook bars, and guide means for determining the poe sitions of the hook bars and tangs relative to the conveyor chains as said chains pass around said sprockets.

2. In a combination as defined in claim I, said parts secured to each of the shafts and engaging one of the cams for effecting movements of the fingers each including arms extending from the said shafts in angularly disposed relationship to one another, one of said arms having a cam follower thereon, the other of said arms carryinga weight for biasing the cam follower toward the cam.

3. In a combination as defined in claim 1, said guide means comprising curved straps mounted adjacent one of each pair of sprockets for engag-v ing end portions of the hook bars, said straps being mounted for movementinto and from engagement with the end portions of the hook bars, and manually operable means for effecting simultaneous movements of the straps.

4. In a combination as defined in claim 1, the finger supporting shafts each being supported by bearings, and the bearing at one end of each finger supporting shaft having a side opening of a size to pass the shaft, and a manually movable element hinged to the bearing for normally closing said side opening, said movable element being swingable to a position such that the shaft is readily removable from the bearing.

5. In a combination as defined in claim 1, there being additionally included between said other two pairs of sprockets means for effecting reversal of the tangs relative to the conveyor side chains.

6. In combination with a dip-coating conveyor for the production of cookies and the like and wherein said conveyor includes substantially parallel side chains carrying hook bars for free rotation relative thereto, said hook bars having end support parts providing guide surfaces and by which the bars are normally suspended below their respective axes of rotation relative to the chains, and said hook bars having rows of oppositely projecting cooky carrying tangs thereon, an unloading mechanism including a plurality of normally stationary guide members supported for engagement with said guide surfaces of the end support parts of the hook bars, movable elements at spaced positions relative to the conveyor and guide members and driven in timed relationship to, the conveyor for removing cookies from the tangs, said guide members being positioned and arranged to hold the hook bars and tanks in predetermined positions near the movable elements, and a manually operable handle connected by links to said guide members for moving the guide members to and from their normal hook bar holding positions.

'7. In a mechanism for unloading cookies and the like from tangs on a conveyor while the conveyor is in motion, the combination comprising a shaft supported by bearings for rotational movement adjacent the conveyor, a row of fingers carried by the shaft and projecting toward the conveyor, one of said bearings being at one end of'the shaft and so constructed that the shaft may be longitudinally withdrawn therefrom, and

the other of said bearings being near the other end of the shaft and'including a bearing block having an open side slot of a size to pass the shaft and a manually movable element mounted on the bearing block for swinging movement to and from a position in which passage of the shaft through the slot is blocked.

8. In a mechanism for unloading cookies an the like from tangs on a conveyor while the conveyor is in motion, the combination comprising a shaft supported by bearings for rotational movement adjacent the conveyor, a row of fingers carried by the shaft and projecting toward the conveyor, arms secured to one end of the shaft in angular relationship to one another, one of said arms having a cam follower thereon, a 'removable weight carried by the other of said arms, and the relative lengths and positions of said arms being such that the shaft and fingers swing in one direction from a normal position when the weights are removed and in the other direc: tion when the weights are on the arm.

9. In combination with a dip-coating conveyor for the production of cookies and the like and including substantially parallel side chains carrying hook bars in spaced and substantially parallel relationship, which hook bars are rotatable relative to the side chains and have rows of oppositely projecting tangs thereon, and which side chains are guided at an unloading position by aligned pairs of coaxial sprockets having the axes of the pairs in spaced relationship, an unloading mechanism including shafts parallel to the axes of the pairs of sprockets and each located near one of the said axes, means providing fingers projecting outwardly in a row from each of said shafts and spaced longitudinally of the shafts so as to be aligned with the spaces adjacent opposite sides of the tangs on the hook bars when the hook bars pass predetermined portions of pairs of sprockets, said fingers being normally swingable about the axes of the shafts from and to positions near the hook bars, means for biasing the shafts in one direction, cams driven from the conveyor for actuating the shafts and their fingers in timed relationship to the movements of the hook bars, said means for biasing the shafts in one direction comprising lever arms secured to the shafts, and removable weight carried by the lever arms.

10. In combination with a dip-coating conveyor for the production of cookies and the like and including substantially parallel side chains carrying hook bars in spaced and substantially parallel relationship, which hook bars are rotatable relative to the side chains and have rows of oppositely projecting tangs thereon, and which side chains are guided at an unloading position by aligned pairs of coaxial sprockets having the axes of the pairs in spaced relationship, an unloading mechanism including shafts parallel to the axes of the pairs of sprockets and each located near one of the said axes, means providing fingers projecting outwardly in a row from each of said shafts and spaced longitudinally of the shafts so as to be aligned with the spaces adjacent opposite sides of the tangs on the hook bars when the hook-bars pass predetermined portions of pairs of sprockets, said fingers being normally swingable about the axes of the shafts from and to positions near the hook bars, means for biasing the shafts in one direction, cams driven from the conveyor for actuating the shafts and theirfingers in timed relationship to the movements of the hook bars, and there being a guid intermediate 2,569,889 9 10 sprockets of said pairs for effecting reversal of REFERENCES CITED the Posmons of the hook bars and opposlte' The following references are of record in the 1y projecting tangs, whereby the fingers on one me of this patent: shaft move along the tangs on one side of each hook bar and the fingers on the other shaft move 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS along the tangs on the other side of each hook Number Name Date bar. 1,130,377 Collis Mar. 2, 1915 NATHAN J. WATSON. 1,820,182 Cooper Aug. 25, 1931 1,858,732 Famham May 17, 1932 

